Poppy
Poppy: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
The name poppy covers several plants in the Papaveraceae family, valued for flowers with delicate petals. It does not describe one species, one life cycle or an identical size. Common poppy, Papaver rhoeas, is annual, whereas oriental poppy, Papaver orientale, is perennial. California poppy, Eschscholzia californica, belongs to another genus in the same family and is often grown as an annual.The flowers usually have an open, cup-like shape, with petals resembling thin or crumpled paper. In single Papaver flowers, four petals generally surround a centre filled with stamens. Double forms also exist among selections. Red is not the only colour: pink, white, orange and other shades occur according to species and variety. Colour alone therefore does not identify a poppy precisely. Differences in flower form contribute as much to their appearance as the dominant shade.Foliage and habit vary as much as the flowers. Common poppy carries upright stems and divided…
